


Not flesh and blood, but the heart

by coldflashwavebaby



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Barry is Harrison Wells' son, Episode: s02e06 Enter Zoom, Just something that was bouncing around in my head, might add more because I have other ideas of what to add
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-19
Updated: 2018-11-19
Packaged: 2019-08-26 06:23:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16676254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coldflashwavebaby/pseuds/coldflashwavebaby
Summary: Harry’s heart nearly stopped when the news came that Zoom attacked the college, and a young man had been taken. According to the newscasters, Zoom had been going after a girl, but the young man jumped in the way and begged that he take him instead.Zoom obliged.





	Not flesh and blood, but the heart

Barry seemed so still and relaxed. One could confuse him for being asleep until they noticed the bruises and scratches all over his body, the heart monitor beeping beside him.

 

Harry rested his elbows on his knees. He did this. Sure, Zoom was the one who had dragged this Earth’s Barry Allen across Central, using him as a message to anyone who was listening. Zoom is the one who nearly killed him. But Harry was the reason he’d been so keen to fight in the first place. He’d wound him up and let him go. All because he wanted to save his child.

 

“Dad?” He glanced up at Jesse, standing beside him with two cups of coffee. Her eyes were red from crying, and her hands were still trembling. Seeing Zoom’s cruelty against Barry was horrible for him, but for his little Jesse Quick, it must have been traumatizing. 

 

He took one of the cups and forced a smile. “Thank you, Jesse.” They both turned their attention back to the figure on the bed. 

 

“Were you ever going to tell me the truth?” she asked. She didn’t seem angry or upset, just...empty. 

 

Harry sighed. “I didn’t want anyone to know the truth--least of all you and your brother.”

 

Jesse nodded silently and took a seat in the chair beside him. “I want you to tell me everything. From the beginning.” 

 

It wasn’t an unreasonable request. Harry had never told anyone the truth, except for Tess. She’d been there with him through it all, the whole ordeal just ten years before the birth of their daughter. 

 

But his Jesse deserved the truth. And so, sitting beside the doppelganger of his son, of her brother, Harry told her the story of Barry Wells. 

 

\-----------

 

Harry always knew he didn’t want children. They were messy, loud, and demanding things that took up time and energy that would be better used on scientific breakthroughs. Tess always wanted children, even back when they were engaged. It was something they constantly argued about, the only thing either of them doubted when it came to the relationship. 

 

Then, fate intervened. 

 

Harry wasn’t a strong believer in fate and the universe putting people in the right place at the right time. But the night he’d first met Barry made him question all that. 

 

He’d been working at the university at the time, saving up to open STAR Labs--a dream that was so close to getting off the ground. Most days, he’d work until almost midnight, go out the front door, walk to the train, and take it home. For some reason, though, that night he felt the urge to go home early. He thought about trying to do something romantic for Tess after the fight they’d had the night before. Maybe take her out to dinner as a surprise. 

 

Instead of going out the front, Harry took the back exit. Instead of going to the train, he decided to walk down to the main road and catch a taxi. It was all very unlike him, but his gut told him to go. That was the way he needed to take. 

 

When he passed the dumpster behind the university cafeteria, he paused. For a second, just a second, he heard a whimper. He waited silently, ears perked, and it came again. 

 

Harry approached the dumpster slowly, unsure of what he would find in there, but drawn to that sound nevertheless. When he poked his head over the lip of the dumpster, his heart stopped. 

 

There was a bundle of blankets pinned under a bag of trash. It was moving very little, whimpering quietly, and breathing shallowly. 

 

A baby, no more than a few hours old. Harry immediately reached inside to pull the baby out, disliking the way the chill of the night turned the poor child’s skin ice cold. Any longer and it would’ve died. 

 

He cradled the baby against his chest and ran the entire way to the hospital, begging the child to stay with him, that he would never let anything else happen to it as long as it just held on. 

 

\----------

 

“And he did,” Harry said. “I refused to leave as they looked him over. They let me feed him, hold him, and the first time he opened those little eyes, I was there. I knew, right then, why Tess wanted children. I don’t even like kids, but when I held Barry, I fell in love with him.”

 

Jesse nodded along and frowned. “How did you know his name was Barry? What happened to his parents?”

 

Harry cleared his throat. “This is the part I was protecting Barry from. Nora and Henry Allen were his parents. I know you don’t know who that is, but back then, they were notorious criminals, wanted by the police for years.”

 

“Oh my god…”

 

Harry nodded. “Yes. The day after I found him, it was all over the news that they’d died in a shootout and that Nora had recently given birth. On the birth certificate, his name was ‘Bartholomew’, but they assumed the baby had been abandoned somewhere.”

 

“Poor Barry…” Jesse looked over her brother’s doppelganger and shook her head. “Were his parents the same?”

 

“No...no, I don’t think so,” Harry answered. “From what I’ve overheard, West took Barry in after my doppelganger--or something--killed his mother. His...father...is still around, but he’s off finding himself. Detective West is his guardian.”

 

Jesse reached over and took her father’s hand. A tear slipped down her cheek. “I’m so scared for him, Dad.  _ Our  _ Barry, I mean. It’s all my fault Zoom has him.”

 

Harry squeezed her hand and shushed her gently. “No, don’t think that. None of this is your fault.” It was his. Zoom wouldn’t have gone after either of his children had it not been for him. He could still remember the last time he’d seen his son, the day that Jay Garrick crashed his press conference and he’d argued with Jesse about the particle accelerator. 

 

\----------

_ “Barry.” _

 

_ “Hey, Dad.” His son’s smile was small as he stepped into Harry’s office. _

__

_ So, he’d spoken to Jesse. She’d probably called him the minute she stormed out of the office.  _

 

_ Despite their age difference, Barry and Jesse were thick as thieves, though Barry often played peacekeeper between them. He didn’t know the truth—that he was adopted, that Jesse wasn’t his birth sister—and, if Harry had it his way, Barry never would. He didn’t need to know about his parents, criminals who died in a shootout. As far as Harry was concerned, Barry Wells was his son, and he loved him just as much as he loved Jesse. _

__

_ “Jesse told you about our fight?” _

__

_ “Yeah.” Barry nodded. “I’m not mad, y’know. That you created the metahumans. You didn’t do it on purpose, and when the accelerator released the dark matter, you did the smart thing by venting it. If you hadn’t, the whole thing would’ve gone up and maybe the entire city would be drowning in dark matter.” _

__

_ Harry leaned back in his seat. “I’m sensing a ‘but’.” _

__

_ “ _ However _ ,” Barry smirked, “I think that you should have at least told me and Jesse. We deserve to know. How are we supposed to look out for you if you keep us in the dark?” _

__

_ With a gentle grin, Harry pushed himself to his feet and approached his son. “My sweet Barry,” he sighed, “it’s my job to protect you and Jesse, not the other way around.” _

__

_ “We’re supposed to protect each other.” _

__

_ Barry was such a gentle soul. He wanted everyone to be happy, everyone to win. He still believed in fairness, loyalty, and that goodness would always win as long as you believe in it. He wrapped his arms around his son and pulled him close. _

__

_ “I know. I know you want to protect me and Jesse. Barry Wells, our hero.” _

__

_ They both laughed. _

__

_ “I love you, Bare.” _

__

_ “I love you too, Dad.” _

\----------

 

After he left the office, Barry had headed over to Central City College to talk to Jesse. Ever the peacemaker.

Harry’s heart nearly stopped when the news came that Zoom attacked the college, and a young man had been taken. According to the newscasters, Zoom had been going after a girl, but the young man jumped in the way and begged that he take him instead.

Zoom obliged.

When Jesse came back to STAR Labs crying, Harry’s worst fears were confirmed. Zoom had his son. At first, Harry spiraled. What could he do? He still had Jesse to think about, but how could they leave Barry to a monster like Zoom? What could he even  _ want  _ with Barry?

The answer to that was obvious—he’d gone after Jesse first, then taken Barry instead. He wanted leverage against Harry. But why?

“Harry?”

His attention darted to the other Barry, finally stirring and fretting. 

 

“Jesse, go get Snow!” he ordered his daughter, jumping out of his seat to sit on the edge of the bed. 

 

He took Barry’s hand between both of his and, when he was sure that no one was around, pressed a kiss to his son’s doppelganger’s forehead. It’s what Harry did whenever his Barry had night terrors to calm him, and it seemed to work for this one as well. Barry’s fretting ceased, but Harry could still see signs of him waking.

 

There were similarities between this Barry and his Barry—both were good-hearted, compassionate, heroic. But this Barry was hardened by the world. He’d witnessed his mother’s death, been called a liar all his life for standing with his father, and, unlike both Barry and Jesse, he hadn’t had the silver spoon that Harry gave them.

 

This Barry was a superhero— _ The Flash _ . He could take this. He would be okay. 

 


End file.
